Infinity 5
by Mr Strawhat Legend
Summary: After the star of Bethlehem incident, is Kamijou Touma dead or alive? A new fan-fic with new characters, more esper abilities, a new city and even a second imagine breaker? Read as the rules bend!
1. Chapter 1

**What happens after the star of Bethlehem incident? Is it the end of the boy named Kamijou Touma? Or is it just the beginning. Featuring new characters, more incredible esper abilities and a whole new city in this new fanfic. Please enjoy it!**

**P.s I do not own any of the characters nor the Toaru Majutsu no index anime or manga**

It was cold in the depths of hell. The fortress was dark, outlined by the blinking lights that lined the stone walls. One could assume that it was unhabitable, a place where no human could exist. Yet, in this ruthless darkness, a teenager sat in water up to his chest level. Blood was flowing, red liquid that dripped onto the stone walls and seeped into the sea water that marked his grave. The boy's head was covered in wounds and scars. Kamijou Touma had welcomed death. He tried to move his body, but soon realized that he was caught under a pillar that pinned him to the floor. Being pinned down in chest-level water was not an enticing prospect, but the pain made him accept his fate.

Touma's memories were a haze. In order to save a girl, he had fought with a certain enemy whose power was terrifying. To save millions of people's lives, he had discarded his own escape in order to ensure that the fortress did not fall in a populated area. Even when a certain middle school girl had tried to save him, his life-line was cut by his own ability to negate all other supernatural or magical abilities. In spite of this, Touma smiled, knowing that he had done the right thing. There were many times in his life that he had faced death and came out unscathed. This time however, his luck had run out.

"Such misfortune", he thought, as the cold arctic water continued to rise.

In a couple of hours, the whole fortress would be flooded and he would surely drown. Touma did not want to die a painful death, especially, one that ensured that he suffocated at the bottom of the ocean where no one could hear him. Yet, he was at peace. With the cold water at his neck and his body temperature lowering, Touma's eyes began to close and his memories comforted him. The times that he had spent with Index, Misaka and the others, it was all worth it. Even though he was always at the end of Index's bites or a punching bag for girls who accused him of being a pervert, he had enjoyed his life. Now he had no regrets.

A load drilling sound abruptly shook him out of his stupor. Touma opened his eyes and looked up. The drilling was getting louder and louder by the minute

"What could it be?" whispered Touma in a pained voice.

There was no one on board except him and everyone had evacuated when the "star of Bethlehem" went down. The archangel that had gone down with him had disappeared in a ball of energy and he was the only one left. Who was this who had come to join him in the depths of hell? The drilling sound stopped at a wall in front of him. Touma knew that there had been a room before the collapse of the pillar supports and wondered if it was still intact for somebody to have access to it.

Splashes sounded as more drills came into play, their blades echoing inside the dark of the fortress. Cutting though stone was no easy feat as the fortress had a solid foundation. However, Touma could not think of any scientific explanation for the power of the drills because his curiosity was captured and he wanted to find out who it was. As he squinted his eyes at the wall in front of him, a piece of stone snapped off and an arm reached through the large crack that had been created. More blades started whirling as more openings tore though the wall. Within a few seconds, the wall gave way, revealing a barrage of flashlights and voices. Touma's eyes hurt as he tried to adjust to the surroundings. He looked up and there, standing in the water were 4 men in diving suits. Touma could not tell who they were, but through his dazed vision and punctured thoughts, they had to be from the military.

One of the divers, spotting an oxygen mask and a tank, reached for an intercom dangling at the side of his waist and radioed in.

"Red leader one, come in."

"I read you blue leader two, what is your status?", asked the voice on the other side of the channel.

The diver replied, "We have located the victim, I repeat, location has been successful."

The man called Blue leader reached towards Touma and lifted his chin. He took a look at Touma's face and chest and saw that he was breathing.

Seemingly satisfied, the diver replied, "The victim is breathing, but he is bleeding heavily and is in need of a medic."

The voice at the other end said something that Touma could not make out.

Blue leader nodded "Yes, sir", and swung the intercom to his waist.

"We need to get the boy out of here", he motioned to the other 3 rescuers, who were listening in on the conversation with their superior.

The divers started to wade towards Touma. The Blue leader reached for the pillar that was trapping Touma's leg and nodded to the other 3 who had surrounded him on either sides of the trap.

"On a count of 3, we are going to lift this off the boy's leg. Be careful guys, we don't want him to be injured any further."

His companions nodded and waited in anticipation.

Blue Leader counted "1…..2…..3...now!"

The 4 of them lifted with all their might and struggled in the cold, freezing water.

Finally, the weight on Touma's leg was lifted and he was free. Touma wriggled his toes. They could move, which meant that his right leg had not been crushed.

"Okay, now for the boy..."

Blue leader placed his right arm around Touma's body and gently lifted him. As Touma rose into the air, the rescuer placed his left arm under the boy's legs for support.

Touma lay in the man's arms as the diver looked at him and spoke in Japanese through the mask, "Its okay kid, you did well. We are from Infinity 5 and we are here to rescue you. Just relax and leave this to us."

Touma wanted to ask how they were going to escape as they were in a fortress a few hundred metres, or even more below the Arctic Ocean. However, his fatigue caught the better of him and he slumped into unconsciousness in the grasp of his saviour.

**Don't worry guys, more is to come! This is my first ever fan-fiction so please do comment!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the second chapter. As the divers were rescuing Touma, something else was happening in Infinity 5, a city where different paths would cross and where Touma would once again find his life leading him on yet another windy path.**

Around the world, there are more than 50 developmental cities and out of those 50 cities, Academy city is the top research facility for the development of esper abilities. However, located at the tip of the country, towards the south-west of Japan, along the coast line, is another bustling city. In this densely populated area, lies the Academy city branch of Infinity 5, one of the top 50 research facilities in the world. "I-5", as affectionately known by the residents there, boosts one of the worlds best Esper training programs that is slightly inferior to Academy city's very own. Established 50 years ago, the program here has grown tremendously, so much to the point that the city is on the verge of producing the first ever level 4 esper to exist outside of Academy city. However, it is here, in this strange and far-off place that a certain spiky haired boy will meet the people who would turn his fate and bring it in a whole new direction.

A strong wind swept though Infinity 5, tearing through the people who were walking on its streets. If one had a view from above, they would describe the people as ants who were scurrying around on the veins of a leaf. It was a cool Monday evening and people were making their way around the streets and roads of Infinity 5. The wind was expected, as Infinity 5 was located near the coast. These kinds of winds were common, due to the rising tides and convection currents that swept into the city like an invisible wave.

Knowing this, the residents of this city made their way to their respective destinations. Students were returning back from a hard day at school while teenagers were hanging out with their friends, entering shopping malls and gaming arcades in order to have a taste of the delights that showed themselves once the city reached nightfall.

The sun had already set and its rays were replaced by the flashing of traffic lights and pedestrians crossings. The towering office buildings stood out like giant light-sticks, lighting up the streets filled with people who were marching in all directions.

This was a typical scene in a city inhabited by students. However, down on the streets below, something was happening, something that threatened to disrupt the peace that was reigning over the city. On a street below a towering district center, a dark-skinned youth ran. Dodging past people as he weaved his way through the mangled crowd. As he made his way forward, people turned and voiced their disapproval. A girl who was carrying an ice cream yelped in surprise as the boy ran past her, tipping the ice-cream onto her shirt. Before she could chide him for his rudeness, the youth had already disappeared, covered by the crowd.

The boy continued to run and as he reached a street corner, he abruptly turned left, as if he was warding off an invisible enemy. True enough, if one were to take a look behind him, they would have seen 6 thugs chasing him. The thugs were big and violent, and they were covered in tattoos that painted their devotion and loyalty to a particular gang in Infinity 5. Gangs like these were common and they were mostly made up of level 0 to 3 espers. Nobody wanted to be on their radar on any particular given day, as they would hunt you down no matter where you were and dish out their displeasure with great satisfaction. The fact that this foreign looking boy was being hunted by them meant that he had done something to displease them and that they wanted to extract their revenge on him.

The youth, who was wearing a blue colored jersey and brown bermudas that reached to his knee , halted his run and turned into an empty alley. However, this was a mistake as he was hemmed in by a wall that blocked his road to escape. Slowly, but surely, the 6 thugs who were chasing him, caught up. They spread themselves out, cutting out any means of escape and advanced on him.

The ring leader, a big, strong guy of about 25 years old looked at the youth and smiled,

"You can't run anymore. It's time you gave up and accepted you fate."

Another thug, wearing a blue leather jacket, stepped forward and sneered,

"You had the guts to save that girl and yet, here you are, covering for your life. Turn around and accept your punishment punk!" he leered

Throwing a can forward, he shouted,

"Coward!"

The youth, whose back was facing them, stopped moving. He slowly turned around and looked at the gang members. The boy had short, curly hair that grew on all sides. His face was oval shaped and he had an angled chin that depicted his age. The boy, who could not have been more than 16 years old, looked like someone from the Middle East or India.

Undeterred, the thugs spoke again, "Look guys, it is the foreigner!"

They sneered and taunted him as the foreign boy clenched his fist in increased anger.

"Can't you understand Japanese? Or do we have to beat it into you?", laughed the thugs as they threw their insults at him.

The brown-skinned boy replied in a tone not often heard in Japan.

As he spoke, a quiet anger could be felt emulating from his voice.

"I do know Japanese and don't need senseless delinquents like you to tell me anything," replied the foreigner,as he looked straight into the eyes of his tormentors.

The thugs stopped laughing and stared, apparently taken aback by this foreign boy's ability to speak Japanese.

However, they quickly regained their composure and retorted back,

"So what if you know Japanese? We are still going to beat the crap out of you! We were having such a nice time with that girl when you butted in and pulled her away with you! How are you going to repay us ?huh!"

Their anger was evident as the 6 of them closed in on their prey.

"We are going to teach you a lesson you will never forget! Nobody messes with the scorpions and gets away with it! Do you get it brown-skinned brat?"

shouted the gang leader, as he got ready to pounce on the boy standing in front of him.

"We will show you the power of a level 3 esper and why level 0's like you should never get in our way!"

Oblivious to the racist remarks being thrown at him, the youth in the jersey and brown bermudas clenches his fist and stood up straight. He spread his legs apart and moved his arms. His right arm swung in front of him while his left hand dropped to his waist. He was ready for a fight and if had to get dirty, he would do it if it ensured his safety.

The 6 hooligans rounded on him as the leader reached out his right hand, releasing a bolt of blue light that shot from the tip of his fingers. The energy beam increased in size as it twisted and contorted towards the boy who was standing guard a few feet away.

As the beam shot towards its target, a member of the gang shouted, "He's dead now!"

The blue energy hit the boy with a tremendous force, releasing a shock wave that ripped through the surrounding walls and smashed through the glass windows. Smoke and debris flew as the ground was pummeled in a mass of power and ripples. The power user smiled as he watched his attack seemingly rip though flesh and bone. However, his joy was short-lived as the beam that was supposed to last disappeared in a combination of a strange sound and movement.

Stunned, the gang leader and his cronies stared as the brown-skinned boy stood unscathed, his right hand, stretched out. It was an impossible scenario. The attack that could have sent a dozen people to the hospital had been negated in an almost easy fashion.

The brown-skinned boy looked up and glared at his attackers. There was no fear in his eyes, only a sense of peace and a desire to end the fight. The gang leader shook in fear. He screamed in frustration and unleashed another beam of light towards the youth. Incredibly, the boy stepped forward and punched the beam with his right hand, scattering it in all directions and reducing it to nothingness.

Around their leader, the other 5 gang members looked on in amazement.

"Boss's attack was negated? But... how?", they whispered as they glanced at the youth standing in front of them.

The Boss shouted at the youth who had negated his attacks, "Damn it! What are you?"

The boy looked up and smiled.

"I wonder…what am I really?", he replied as he started forward,

a big, creepy grin etched across his face.

Trembling in fear, the gang leader let out a cry of desperation and commanded his fledglings to charge and eliminate the person walking towards them.

However, by the end of the day, all 6 members of the gang would end up in the hospital with broken bones and bruised egos, having been beaten by an enemy whom they thought was weak and whose existence was impossible.

**This is the end of chapter 2. Please stay tuned for chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the 3****rd**** chapter of the story. After the events of world war 3, many people assumed that Kamijou Touma was dead, buried in the depths of the ocean. However, in a city towards the southwest coast of Japan, located miles away from Academy city, a spiky-haired youth wakes up in a hospital.**

Infinity 5 was relatively small compared to Academy city. While the latter had 23 or more districts, "I-5", as the inhabitants called it had 19. All 19 districts were split into different areas and each section held buildings, schools and basic recreational centers that were used by the students living in I-5. It was in the 10th district of Infinity 5, that the hospitals and medical facilities were located.

In that 10th district, a large hospital loomed over the smaller infrastructures scattered around it. A small lake sat beside the hospital, spreading its tranquility and beauty to the surrounding landscape. It was the newest building that had been established, as part of the city's desire for improvement and progress.

The contractors of the hospital had been hired from Academy city and they had proceeded to build a hub that exceeded all expectations. The higher ups of Infinity 5 had close ties with the head of Academy city, so it was natural for them to want to catch up to their partners in business.

It was here, in this hospital that a certain 16 year-old boy rose to consciousness and opened his eyes for the first time in weeks.

Kamijou Touma opened his eyes. He was lying in a dark room, where the only light source was coming from a window that had it's curtains drawn over it. Touma slowly turned his head to the right. He saw a door that was located near a small bathroom. Feeling his strength returning to him, Touma heaved himself up and sat down on bed he had been lying on. He was in what looked like a hospital room. Touma scratched his head, feeling a throbbing numbness at the back of his skull.

"How long have I been asleep?", he thought to himself.

Touma looked at himself. He was dressed in what looked like a hospital gown that patients wore. His right leg was wrapped in a bandage and his head was covered in some sort of bandage wrap.

"What the crap happened to me?", he thought, as the memories came flooding back to him.

The war in Russia and his fight with "Fiamma of the Right." Him defeating Fiamma and pushing him into an escape pod while the "Star of Bethlehem" collapsed. However, it wasn't only that. Touma also remembered the events that took place before he plunged into the Arctic Ocean. He remembered Misaka Mikoto on a Vtol, trying to rescue him, and her horrified expressions when she realized that all her powers as a level 5 esper could not save him from certain death. On top of that, the person he was most worried about was Index. How was she? Did she survive? Had she managed to escape the trance she was in when she was under Fiamma's control?

All these thoughts and emotions piled up on Touma like a tsunami, bringing forth waves of emotions that swept through him.

Touma bowed his head and whispered to himself with self-realization,

"Everybody thinks I am dead."

For the first time in his life, Kamijou Touma felt truly alone. Even if he was here, in this strange room, living and breathing, how was he going to face those whom he had left behind? How was Komoe-sensei going to react? Or his parents as a matter of fact, once they learned that their son was dead, swallowed by a merciless grave that left no survivors.

Yet, within Kamijou's heart, a strange feeling erupted.

"I am still alive," he thought, as he looked up at the hospital wall in front of him.

"The fact that I am alive means that I was successful in saving the people I wanted to protect," whispered Touma, as he clenched the blanket that covered his chest.

Feeling glad, he mustered a smile. Finally, with newfound confidence, he looked around the ward. This room strangely reminded him where he usually resided in whenever he was injured. In that hospital, a certain frog-faced doctor would nurse him back to health.

This brought forth the questions. Was he in Academy city, or somewhere else? To his memories, he had sunk in the Arctic Ocean, so it was plausible to assume that he was in a foreign hospital.

However, his doubts were washed away as the hospital ward room door swung open and a female nurse wearing a blue uniform walked in.

"Oh hello! You are awake!", exclaimed the nurse in Japanese delightfully, as she walked across Touma's bed to the other side of the room.

Touma's eyes followed her as she drew the curtains apart, letting in streaks of golden light that bathed the entire room with warmth and comfort. Looking from his bed, Touma quickly realized that he wasn't in Academy city anymore. As light flooded into the room, Touma caught a good look of his residence though the window.

The tall skyscrapers that usually surrounded the hospital were replaced by a light, blue sky that signaled the afternoon hour. It was nearly 1 pm and the sun was at its peak, bathing the landscape in yellow light. Touma could see a small lake with a garden beside it. As far as his eyes could make out, there were patients walking on the pathways aligning the lake, feeding the ducks or sitting down on the park benches.

Touma turned towards the nurse and asked,

"Um…. excuse me, but where am I?"

The nurse, whose hair was tied back in a bundle, replied, a smile painted across her face,

"You are in Infinity 5! A research facility just like Academy city! We are a research branch that specializes in Esper development."

Touma touched the back of his head,

"But...how did I get back to Japan from the Arctic ocean?", he asked.

As far as he knew, his last memory was that of him being in the arms of a rescue diver who assured him to leave things to his team. However, Kamijou had passed out before he could inquire any further.

The nurse looked at Touma and smiled,

"My, my, I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask. It's okay. You don't have to worry. Inazuma-san will answer all of your questions later. He is in his office right now."

Touma listened on and thought, "Who is this Inazuma-san?"

The nurse continued, "Inazuma-san was worried when you did not regain consciousness after we found you, but that's okay now. I'll tell him that you just woke up."

The nurse picked up a card and handed it to Touma.

"This is for you. Inazuma-san felt that since you were so far from home, he decided to give you a personal card to make you feel welcomed."

'He also gave you this," motioned the nurse, as she pointed towards a basket of fruits that lay beside Touma's bed.

Touma picked up the card and read the message,

" Dear Touma,

Do get well! We are waiting for you!

Cheers,

Takada Inazuma"

Touma absorbed the information.

"He must be my Doctor," he realized, as he placed the card on the table. The nurse looked at him and flashed him a grin.

"Well then. I will be going now. Rest a bit longer. Inazuma-san will come to see you very soon. He can't tend to you right now so I am here on his behalf. See you later Kamijou-kun."

Finally, the nurse bowed her head and left the room, leaving Touma alone.

Touma's eyes gazed at her as she exited and shut the door behind her. Touma sighed,

"Such misfortune," he said, as he looked at his injured leg.

He could still wriggle his toes, but could not move his full leg yet. After all, he had survived drowning in a fortress that crashed straight into the freezing waters of the Arctic Ocean and had come out fairly intact. He was thankful that the only misfortune he suffered was an injured right leg.

Touma sighed once again and gestured to himself.

"I guess, all I can do is wait."

He reached for a remote control lying on the patient table and turned on the television. Unfortunately, the television screen refused to obey the commands of the remote. Touma frantically switched channels, but each change was met with static that filled the screen. Touma looked at his right hand and sighed. The Imagine Breaker was working, which meant that he was going to continue facing misfortune at every turn.

Realizing his fate, Touma knew that he was stuck in a room with no entertaiment to watch. His right leg was injured which meant that he could not move freely. On top of that, he did not know when his Doctor was going to pay him a visit.

Kamijou popped himself back on the bed and sighed loudly,

"Such misfortune."

His thoughts wandered to a certain sister and a level 5 that resided more than a few miles away.

**Meanwhile, in Academy city, in a certain windowless building,**

A tall, windowless building rose out from the center of Academy city. This building had been built to withstand a nuclear attack, as well as radiation from outer space. It was in this strange place that a certain human being resided. Held alive by the cables and tubes that were linked to his tank, the creature floated upside down. If one were to come face to face with him, they would describe him as an adult. However, they would also attribute him with a man who looked like a child, a man who looked like a women, or a saint who was a criminal.

Indeed, Aleister Crowley was all of the above. He wore a surgeon's suit and was hanging onto his life from the support of machines, which kept his consciousness alive. A month had passed ever since World War 3 ended, with the destruction of the flying fortress, the "Star of Bethlehem." He had disposed of "Fiamma of the right," destroying his body and sending him into an obsolete existence. The right hand seat of God would not be a problem ever again. Here he was, the hidden monarch of Academy city, plotting his next move.

The center of his thoughts was a certain spike-haired boy called Kamijou Touma. Ever since the boy escaped to Russia, he had dispatched his security forces to retrieve the Imagine breaker at all costs, without any luck. Now, he had lost the most precious trump card needed in case things escalated from bad to worst. The boy was thought to be dead, swallowed up by the Arctic Ocean. The Anglican, Russian and Roman Catholic churches had launched their own rescue missions into the Arctic Ocean to save the boy but they too were held back by the fact that no one could have survived in sea waters at temperatures of 2 degrees.

Aleister closed his eyes. The man, who planned everything that went on in not just Academy city, but the whole world, sighed. He rarely gave off any emotions, the fact being that his personality was devoid of almost all human feelings. However, he had not counted on the supposed death of the Imagine breaker that was Academy city's possession. Opening his eyes, his attention was caught by a beeping sound being emitted from one of the screens that was propped up in front of him.

The screen contained a map of all 50 Esper developmental programs going on around the world. A red signal beeped from Academy city's location. Aleister put the call through. A voice sounded through the system that relayed all exterior communications through the building. An old, familiar voice spoke,

"Aleister? It's me," announced the Heaven Cancellor, his voice radiating throughout the entire room.

Aleister replied in a soft, melodious voice that revealed the eternal existence and youth he represented.

"Yes my old friend, what is it?"

The Heaven Cancellor spoke, "I just received a call from Infinity 5, and they have some interesting news for us."

Aleister looked at the screen with curiosity. Infinity 5 was a much less advanced research city compared to Academy city and they rarely called for anything; accept for help in improving their own infrastructures. In fact, Infinity 5 boosted only level 0 to 3 Espers, with the exception of one level 4 esper that they had recently developed. What could be so important that they had decided to call him personally?

Aleister replied, "What does an inferior city like them have to offer us?"

Like the man he was, Aleister never had time for small fries that were miles behind Academy city in terms of Esper development. He was only listening to what they had to say because the Heaven Cancellor himself had appealed directly to him.

Heaven Cancellor replied, "It seems that Infinity 5 has secured the Imagine Breaker."

Aleister paused in silence. How did a branch city like I-5 succeed where he had failed? Could it be that he had miscalculated the fact that other cities were aware of the Imagine Breaker's power and that they too wanted it for themselves. Infinity 5 was one such city. The fact that they had beaten the magic side to Kamijou Touma meant that his plans to re-capture the Imagine Breaker had failed. All he could do right now, was to negotiate and find out their plans.

Aleister did have the sisters of the Misaka network stationed in all 50 research cities, to protect invaluable gemstones from certain sinister organizations all around the world. He could utilize them and succeed in re-acquiring Kamijou Touma.

"I want to see this play out," he thought to himself, as he turned to the screen.

"What are their terms?", asked Aleister

Heaven Cancellor replied, "Actually, they have no terms. One of the boards of directors is requesting to meet with you face to face. It seems that they have no intentions of keeping Touma."

Aleister continued to listen, soaking in the information being presented to him.

Heaven Cancellor continued, "He will be arriving in Academy city on Friday. Should I change the appointment?"

Aleister replied, "No, put him through. I want to hear what he has to say. Securing the Imagine Breaker is top on our agenda right now."

Heaven Cancellor paused. Aleister could detect a hint of change in his tone and possibly, his emotions.

"What's wrong?" he asked, unaware of the doctor's mood.

The doctor replied, "I thought you would like to know who is coming to see you on Friday."

Aleister frowned, "Who is it?"

The voice on the system chuckled and replied "Well, well, isn't it our old friend, Takada Inazuma."

Aleister's eyes widened slightly. Takada Inazuma? So that was where that man was. He had taken residence in a lesser known research city and established himself there.

"My, my, would you look at that? He hasn't changed one bit. He is certainly a man who likes to make flashy entrances," exclaimed Aleister, relishing the meeting on Friday.

Heaven Cancellor spoke for the last and final time," Well, I just thought you should know. I will tell him that you are willing to meet him."

With that, Heaven Cancellor cut the call and the conversation ended. Floating in his tank, Aleister Crowley, the magician who had become the head of the science side, frowned slightly and muttered silently,

"Inazuma you bastard, What are you planning…...?"

**This is the end of chapter 3. Please stay-tuned for chapter 4.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kamijou Touma has been rescued by the research city, Infinity 5. As he recovers, many different things are happening at the same time. Just as the winds blow during nightfall in Infinity City, so are the winds of change taking place as people meet and paths converge, all towards their own destinies. Where Science and Magic meets, so does the epic story begin!**

Kamijou Touma sat on his bed, looking at the surrounding scenery outside his window. A slight breeze was pushing past the trees and bushes in the park below, just beside the hospital. Children were playing on the benches and beside the lake, feeding the ducks and swans that flocked to consume the free treats being given out by the patients. Parents supervised their kids as they soaked up the warm sunlight.

Touma was lost in his own thoughts when a load noise jolted him to his senses. The door to his ward swung open and a man walked in. Touma surveyed the man with curiosity. He wore a white lab coat that reached to his thigh. The coat hid a light blue shirt underneath. His pants were black in color and as far as Touma could tell, had things hidden in their pockets. The man was slightly tall, with a relatively strong physique, hidden by his attire. He sprouted a beard and had wavy hair. He looked like he was in his forties or fifties.

Touma looked at the man and asked,

"Eh….excuse me….but are you my Doctor?"

The man glanced at Touma and answered him with a smile,

"Yup, you guessed it!"

Standing in front of Touma, he reached out and shook his hand,

"Hello Touma, my name is Takada Inazuma and I am the Doctor in charge of you."

Touma analyzed the Doctor's name, with recognition spreading through his brain.

"Eh, Inazuma…san?" asked Touma, with uncertainty.

Inazuma flashed a grin,

"I see that you recognize my name. Well, I was the one who sent you the "get-well" card after all."

Touma thought to himself. So this was his Doctor, Takada Inazuma. However, Touma's thoughts immediately turned to more pressing matters that were on his mind. Turning to Inazuma, he exclaimed,

"What happened to Academy city? What about World War 3? What happened to Fiamma?"

Clenching his fist in desperation, Touma struggled, as his voice dropped,

"What about Index?"

These were the questions Touma was afraid of. He had saved millions of people from certain death when he chose stay and knock the "Star of Bethlehem" of it's trajectory. However, he had no way of knowing what happened after he disappeared into the Arctic Ocean.

How the war was going? or whether it was the end of the world? it all overwhelmed him, to the point that he felt like the living dead. Grinding his teeth, Kamijou felt tears forming.

A hand grasped Touma's shoulders firmly. Touma looked up. Inazuma was watching him quietly. As Touma regained his composure, Inazuma gave Touma a comforting smile.

This smile was unlike any other smiles people had given Touma before. It was the smile of a man who had immense willpower and strength. For some strange reason that he could not explain, Touma felt his heart skip a beat and his sadness began to disappear as new emotions took over. Inazuma continued to beam as he spoke,

"Don't worry my boy, I know everything. The war… Fiamma of the right…, even-"

Inazuma grinned even wider,

"-The fact that the "Index Librorum Prohibitorum" is alive and well. You don't have to worry Touma, she is safe."

Touma stared at Inazuma, stunned.

"How do you know?" he replied, desiring more answers from the Doctor.

Inazuma closed his eyes. With a smile still engraved across his face, he spoke,

"I have my own ways of finding out things, Touma. Believe me, when I say that all your allies in Academy city, as well as those who are on the magic side, are safe."

Hearing this, Touma relaxed. There was something about Inazuma that reaffirmed him. After all, this was the man who had saved his life, so why didn't Touma have any reason not to trust him. Dropping his shoulders, Touma sighed,

" That's a relief. I was worried."

Relaxing his body, Touma looked at Inazuma and asked,

"But Inazuma-san, how do you know so much?"

To Kamijou's knowledge, Doctors did not have as much knowledge of the magic side as the higher ups did, so how was it possible that Inazuma knew about them when information was restricted this far down the line?

Inazuma opened his eyes and replied,

"That might be true, but being a member of the Board of Directors does have its privileges."

"Board of Directors? I see, so this means that….."

There was a slight pause before Touma exclaimed,

"EH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS?" he exhaled in disbelief.

After all, it was highly unlikely for a Doctor in any research city to be voted as a member of the board. However, here, in Infinity 5, Inazuma was a Doctor as well as an influential member.

Inazuma laughed at Touma's response.

"I see that my position was unexpected. Well, that was an expected reaction from you. Don't be so intimidated by the title. I still have superiors so I'm not that all high and mighty as you think I am,"

replied Inazuma, as he proceeded to sit down at the foot of Touma's bed.

Everything began to fall into place for Kamijou Touma. Now, it made absolute sense. Since Inazuma was one of the Board of Directors, he had access to highly classified information that was usually kept from the public's knowledge. On top of that, he had power in infinity 5 and he could use that power to spread his influence outside of the city.

"Was it you that rescued me?" asked Touma uncomfortably.

Inazuma shook his head,

"No, a few of us did. You might be unaware, but after the "Star of Bethlehem" went down, different churches sent out their own rescue teams in an attempt to extract you from the drowning vessel."

Inazuma reached for his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. He handed it to Touma,

"Oh, thank you."

As Touma ripped open the wrapper and munched on the bar, his eyes were trained on Inazuma as he continued to speak.

"For some of us in Infinity 5, who knew what was going on between the different religious factions, recovering you wasn't a matter of choice, it was compulsory. Your life was in the balance and we needed to act quickly."

Chewing on the bar, Touma replied,

"But why couldn't the churches rescue me while you could?"

He still remembered the four divers who had cut through stone and steel to get to him.

Inazuma nodded,

"Our dive teams stationed here has state of the art technology that the magic side does not. Even Academy city itself does not know about our technology that proficiently. I won't go into the finer details, but we used our enhanced diving capabilities to plunge into the freezing waters of the Arctic Ocean and locate you."

"Initially, our divers had some obstacles to face once they were in the "Star of Bethlehem." The structure was crumbling tremendously, so they had to work quickly. If they could not locate you within 2 hours, the command would be given to retreat."

Touma's spine tingled when he heard this. Due to the nature of his "Imagine Breaker", he kept on experiencing misfortune at every turn. Now, he realized that he had been extremely lucky to survive an accident such as this.

Inazuma continued, undeterred,

"However, thanks to advanced heat seeking technology, they were able to find you and pull you out just in time. They are the real heroes, Touma. You should thank them."

Inazuma cracked his knuckles as he ploughed on,

"After they secured you, you were flown here to Infinity 5, where we transported you by ambulance to this hospital. I examined you to see if you had any major injuries, though, I must admit that I was quite surprised when I found out that the only ailment you received was a fractured leg that can be healed completely."

"In any circumstances, nobody could have survived a catastrophe of that magnitude, so the other Doctors and I considered it a miracle that you did."

Inazuma winked at Touma and said,

"It seems that you were very fortunate to have survived."

The Doctor looked at Touma's right hand,

"It looks like your "Imagine Breaker" is good for something else too. It might also cancel out you own misfortune."

"You mean this?" Touma asked, as he looked at his right hand.

"Imagine Breaker," the ability to negate all powers supernatural or magical, had always given Kamijou Touma his fair share of misfortune. An ability like this was powerful, but it was like a double-edged sword.

"Nah, this is my power, but it hardly give me any luck."

Inazuma shook his head,

"Since when did you ever need luck, Touma? Your "Imagine Breaker" is a powerful ability, possessed only by you. I take it that it was you who defeated the "Archangel?""

Touma scratched the back of his head,

"Yeah, I touched her with my right hand and her powers could not be used. She disappeared in a ball of energy. I don't remember what happened next."

Inazuma acknowledged this piece of information and nodded.

Touma looked at the scenery outside his window and asked,

"How long do I have to be here?"

Inazuma stood up,

"You will be discharged in a week's time. Don't worry, with more rest, your right leg will be fully healed by the beginning of next week, and you will be able to walk normally once again. No nerves were damaged the last time I checked."

"This means that the pillar, which was pinning your leg down, while you were trapped in the fortress, was pulled off just in time. If the divers had taken longer, you blood circulation would have been cut off and your right leg would have been lost for good."

The Doctor stretched as he continued,

"Fortunately, nothing happened. However we were concerned when you did not wake up for the first 2 weeks. I started to get a little worried when you showed signs of being in a coma. Hence, when I heard the news that you had awoken from your slumber. I heaved a sigh of relief."

Inazuma stopped stretching as Touma clarified,

"When will I be sent back to Academy City?"

It was great that he was going to make a full recovery. However, the place where Kamijou really wanted to be in, was Academy City. To be able to see the faces of Komoe-sensei, Hinegami, Tsuchimikado and even "Biri-Biri" was the best "get well" present he could ever have. However, he was pretty far away from the research centre and had no idea how to get there.

Inazuma glanced at Touma and presented his answer,

"Ah, yes, about that, you will be sent back to Academy City once you have made a full recovery. Since, you will be discharged next week, I will give you ample time to relax in Infinity 5 before preparing your trip back across Japan. Just like our more illustrious counterpart, 80% of the residents here are students too. "

Inazuma opened the door as he prepared to leave.

"I will see you on Thursday to remove your bandages Touma. You will spend the weekend getting yourself back on your feet. I am confident that by next week Monday, you will be able to run again."

Touma smiled as he replied,

"Thank you Inazuma-san, I appreciate it."

Inazuma returned the gesture and said,

"No worries my boy. I left you a basket of fruits. They are fresh so you might want to eat some of them. Oh, and one more thing,"

Inazuma walked back across the room and switched on the television.

"Just in case, if you are bored, I will be leaving the television on. A nurse will be sent in later to check on how you are doing. Get used to being among the living Touma," beamed Inazuma, as he walked to the door and stepped out into the crowded corridor outside.

As the door shut behind Inazuma, Touma picked up the remote control the Doctor had left on the table beside the bed, and began switching channels. Finally, after weeks of resting in the hospital, Kamijou Touma was back among the world of the living.

**A few hours later, as night fell in Infinity 5, a certain boy was walking under the lights of this bright city of students.**

As Kamijou Touma stayed in the hospital located in the 10th district, evening fell upon Infinity 5 in another part of the city. The 7th district, the part of "I-5" that held the shopping and entertainment complexes, was slowly coming to live.

Artificial lights that lit the skyline like lanterns, replaced the bright sunlight of the earlier afternoon. As buildings and offices began to make their presences known, people began to fill the streets below.

It was the end of the day, and being a city of students, "I-5" usually had a huge swell of population in the city areas at night. As schools ended for the day, students would flock to the entertainment centers to relax. Those who had homework or assignments to do, would head down to cafes or restaurants to have dinner before they started on their work.

It was in a certain part of district 7, on a street below a buzzing shopping mall, that a certain boy could be found. The youth was wearing a blue-colored jersey, and brown bermudas that reached to his knees. He wore shoes, with his socks folded to his ankles. The boy had natural curly hair, and his face possessed a slightly angled jaw. He was slightly skinny and fairly tall. As he walked past excited boys and girls who were making their way up the stairs, he looked around.

His name was Avinash, and he was 16 years old. Some people in Japan usually paid attention to him when he walked on the pavement or crossed a road. It wasn't because he was weird. Rather, due to the nature of his skin color, it was understandable for some of the native Japanese people to look at him that way. Avinash was brown-skinned and he was proud of it.

He was one of the few foreign born students living in Infinity 5. Avinash attended a certain high school within the city and even in class; he was the only Indian person studying there.

Avinash continued to walk as he enjoyed his surroundings. A cool breeze was settling on the city, bathing it in a chill that made him wish he had brought his jacket.

He arrived at a traffic light and waited for the green man to appear. As he stood beside people waiting to cross, he suddenly spotted somebody that he recognized. Impatiently waiting for the traffic light to start, Avinash bounced on the spot in anticipation. When the green light finally showed itself, he sprinted across the road in an attempt to reach the person he was aiming for.

The person who had merited his attention was a certain Japanese girl who was standing on the other side of the road. This girl looked like she was 14 years old, and she wore a school uniform that Avinash wasn't familiar with. Her skirt was short and if he didn't know better, a strong gust of wind would make her a carbon copy of Marilyn Monroe's infamous stunt.

She had short hair and was wearing a pair of goggles, which to Avinash, looked like the equipment used to see magnetic fields and electron beams. He had been taught about them in school. Avinash raced to her and exclaimed,

"Excuse me, please!"

The girl stopped as she turned to look at him, acknowledging his presence. The girl surveyed him in a dreamy state and asked,

"Why have you stopped Misaka? As Misaka ponders at the stranger whom she knows with a slight memory," the girl called Misaka replied.

Avinash looked at this Misaka and thought to himself.

"That is a weird way of speaking."

Misaka continued to gaze at Avinash and said,

"If the stranger does not have anything to ask, Misaka shall take her leave, as Misaka answers his silence."

She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Avinash cried out, as Misaka stopped and looked behind.

Composing himself, Avinash answered her in perfect Japanese,

"Erm….are you okay? After what happened last week, I was a bit concerned about how you were taking it."

Misaka turned to face him completely and said,

"Misaka does not understand the meaning of the question, as she looks at the stranger with confusion"

Avinash continued,

"It's not that. Remember, last week? When those 6 thugs attacked you? I had to step in and help you because the situation was getting dangerous, and they would have done something worse to you?"

Avinash looked down, avoiding Misaka's eyes.

"I was wondering if you were okay after what had happened…..That's all."

"What the crap am I doing?" thought Avinash.

He was always nervous around the girls he found attractive, and this Misaka was definitely attractive. If he found a girl to be beautiful, he would avoid making eye- contact with her due to his own lack of self- confidence when dealing with the opposite gender. Avinash was always nervous around women. However, he had to talk to Misaka to make sure that she was all-right.

Misaka looked at him and replied,

"Misaka will make a full recovery, even though she admits that she was under no real danger with those troublemakers, says Misaka, as she understands the stranger's concerns."

Avinash smiled and said,

"Hi, my name is Avinash and I am a level 0 Esper. Nice to meet you."

Avinash reached out his hand for a shake. Misaka looked at his hand and took it, shaking it before she let go again.

"Misaka thanks you for you assistance in dealing with those criminals, even though she admits that she could have dealt with them herself, says Misaka, as she responds with a smile on her face,"

smiled Misaka.

Avinash could not understand the reason behind the way she spoke, but he had heard rumors that these girls were clones of a particular level 5 Esper that was residing in the world's best research facility, Academy City. Maybe, that was the reason why she spoke in such an uncommon way.

Avinash turned to Misaka as she spoke for the last time.

"Misaka was surrounded, but she would like to thank you for your un-selfish actions in assisting her, announces Misaka, as she acknowledges you."

Turning away, she said,

"Misaka says goodbye now, as she turns to leave."

With this, Misaka walked off, leaving Avinash standing on the spot. Looking at her go, Avinash watched her as she made her way down the street and disappeared around the corner. It was true.

Just over a week ago, he had been walking along another street when he heard shouts coming from a nearby store. Curious to find out what the commotion was all about, he headed towards the shouts and came across 6 gang members who were surrounding a girl. The girl seemed to be an Esper, as Avinash saw her shooting jolts of electricity from her body in an attempt to ward off her attackers.

However, she seemed to be immobilized by a sound that was being played by one of the thugs, who had a radio in his hand. To Avinash, he had been taught that this particular sound was known as "Capacity Down," a frequency that nullified Espers and interfered with the ability to use their powers. If he didn't act fast, the 6 guys were going to do something bad to her, knowing full-well, that gangs like these hated high-level Espers.

As they closed in on her, Avinash had rushed in, grabbed her hand and pulled her away with him. The thugs, who were obviously incensed that he had stolen their prey, chased after them. Avinash, together with Misaka in tow, ran until they came to a crowded shopping mall. Entering it and brushing people aside, Avinash pushed her into a store, while he ran out and acted as decoy. The gangsters, seeing him make his way out of the mall, abandoned their hunt for Misaka and pursued him instead, in an attempt to flesh out all their anger on him.

He led them into an abandoned alley, where he negated the leader's ability and beat up the entire group. He achieved this by using the skills he had learnt while undergoing intense training under a certain Doctor. After everything was done, he had called the ambulance to come and pick up the injured guys, while he heaved a sigh of relief as he walked away.

Reverting back to the present, Avinash looked up at the night sky as stars began to appear over Infinity 5. He looked around at the people walking past him and thought to himself,

"I really need to work on the way I communicate with girls."

He started to walk as he thought about Misaka, the clone whom he had rescued and recently spoken to. Making his way to the bus-stop, he pondered her existence and whispered to himself,

"Boy, there are really strange people in this world."

As he waited for the bus to take him home, Avinash breathed heavily and sighed, "I wonder what Inazuma-san has to say about this."

Unknown to him, a strong wind began across Infinity 5, signaling the change that was going to take place in a matter of weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Kamijou Touma has awakened. As he recovers his strength, certain events are taking place. These events will determine the fate of Academy city, Infinity 5, and the world that he lives in. One can only watch as the major players of power communicate their goals and ambitions to one another. A strong fact remains. Touma's life will take a whole new turn as he draws closer to the fateful meetings that will shape the future of him and his friends. Where science and magic meets, that is where the epic story begins!**

**Academy city, West of Tokyo,**

Dark clouds formed, hovering above the world's famous Esper development centre. Academy city lived up to its reputation on most occasions. However, any visitor's preconceived ambitions of touring this technologically advanced city was dashed as the brooding and intimidating weather covered the sky like a giant canvas, threatening the citizens on the streets below with rain if they did not move quickly to find shelter.

The weather report had predicted a heavy storm over the west coast of Japan. The storm was due to move inwards in a matter of hours. As a result, students had to react quickly if they wanted to avoid getting wet.

It was in a certain shop, called "Green Mart," down on the streets below, that a middle school girl could be found. If a stranger were to look at her, they would immediately recognize her as a student of the infamous "Tokiwadai Middle School."

This girl had short hair that reached to her shoulders. She carried a green phone that had a "Gekoto" strap attached to it. The girl was browsing along the comic's section. She picked up a manga, and began to flip the pages. Reading mangas for free in this particular shop was her hobby, as she did not need to pay for a copy.

However, she did know how to practice digression so that the owner of the mart would not chide her for taking advantage of the system. The streets outside "Green Mart" lit up as the sound of thunder could be heard. It was turning dark. Through the glass window, the girl could see people opening their umbrellas and putting on raincoats, as the barrage of water droplets descended upon Academy city.

Yet, here in the sanctuary of the well-lit shop, Misaka Mikoto pondered on the events that had unfolded nearly a month ago. The past month had been strange, and many things had taken place on a world scale. Misaka had been in a war that threatened to wipe out their very existence.

World War 3 nearly cost Academy city a great deal, even though they had won the war. Misaka had watched the surrender of Russian forces on the television, as they announced the ceasefire after some brutal fighting.

Every student citizen living in the city, was told of the news that the war was over and that they could breathe easily now. Yet, Misaka was sad, as she thought of a life that was lost in Russia.

Unknown to many people, there had been a casualty who had died, trying to do what was right. Indeed, the person Misaka was thinking of was a certain spiky-haired boy called Kamijou Touma.

While she was in Russia, she had stolen a Vtol, and together with a sister from the Misaka network, had attempted to retrieve him from his ill-fated duty. However, all her efforts to rescue him ended when she tried to use her powers to magnetically pull him out of the structure that was falling rapidly into the ocean below. To reasons unknown to her, he touched the lifeline linking him to her and broke it.

Misaka crunched her teeth as she though to herself,

"It was that right hand again. The same right hand that could block my electricity and iron sand."

Bringing the manga she held in her hands tightly to her chest, she muttered to herself,

"Idiot, why didn't he let me save him?"

He has saved her life when she hadn't asked him to. For the sake of her sisters, the boy had fought with Academy city's strongest Esper, the Accelerator, and had beaten him with his bare hands. Yet, when it came to himself, he just wouldn't let her help him. Even though he was badly beaten and injured, he still refused her assistance.

Now, he was dead, swallowed up by the sea. Misaka looked at the street outside and whispered, in a desperate tone,

"Why didn't you let me save you?" she asked again.

Misaka looked at the rain stained glass as she thought to herself.

After the structure had gone down, they had piloted the Vtol to get as close as they possibly could to the fortress. However, when they reached a harbor near the ice-filled coast, her sister had to stop the craft due to their low fuel supply.

Misaka had looked for any signs of life, anything that could prove that the boy still lived. However, her misery was compounded, as they could not find a single trace of the boy's existence, safe for a "Gekota" strap that she had pulled from the water.

Misaka snapped back to the present, as she reached for her pocket and pulled out the strap. She still remembered the date, September 30th. They had gotten the strap together after Touma had been forced to go on a date with her. Despite him being dropped kick by Kuroko, while they were in a photo booth, Misaka had enjoyed herself, even though Touma pissed her off for some other reason.

It was weird. For Misaka, Touma was an integral part of her life. He was the idiot who could handle her status and personality, even though he was a level 0. The realization that he was dead was another issue all together. Misaka wondered why she cared so much about him, until she realized that deep down, in her heart of hearts, she liked him.

Misaka blushed, as tears started to fill her eyes. As much as she denied it, she realized that she had feelings for him. He was the only one who could negate all her attacks with his bare hands, and the only person who would go the distance for others if they were in trouble.

Misaka looked up and closed her eyes. All her power as the 3rd level 5 in the city and she could not save one boy. As tears begin to drop, she resisted. The girl did not want to cry, because she was afraid of letting down her defenses and becoming weak. Yet, she would be truly heartless if she thought that the death of that idiot did not warranty a single tear.

Misaka struggled with her emotions before a clap of thunder jolted her to her senses. She put down the manga she had been reading and turned to look around the store. It was 9pm and the owner was tending to some customers who had lined up at the counter. Misaka walked past the aisle of the comic's section and opened the mart's door.

She stepped out into the cold wind as the street and roads were soaked in water. She took out her umbrella, opened it and started walking in the direction of the bus stop. As she made her way, she looked up at the dark sky. The rain was starting to pick up speed and thus, she needed to hurry.

Conversely, at the same time, another strong gush of wind blew past her, lifting her skirt and flinging her bag about her shoulder. Finally, she reached the bus stop and closed her umbrella. The bus would take at least 15 minutes to arrive, so she still had to wait for some time.

Looking up at the sky again, Misaka could feel that there was something different tonight. It wasn't like any other conventional day, when the city encountered heavy weather. Instead, this was the kind of night that changes usually occurred, unknown to the entire world.

Misaka gazed at a rotating, rain-soaked turbine just across the street and whispered to herself,

"There is something different about tonight."

**The center of Academy city, the mysterious building,**

Meanwhile, as the floodgates descended upon the residents of Academy city, a lone, windowless building stood out in the center of the hub. This building had been built to withstand a nuclear attack should Academy city come under an enemy threat. In addition, the building prevented harmful radioactive rays from entering it.

All these precautions were necessary for the being that resided within it's walls. Indeed, if one were to enter this building, they would come face to face with the head of Academy city himself. The former Magician who had deserted the magic side, only to become the head of the science side.

Aleister Crowley was a strange being. He floated in a cylinder-shaped container that had wires and tubes attached to it. These connections ran along the entire length of massive room and they held the life-support that Aleister was so dependent on to survive.

Yet, like the cold and calculating man he was, here he lived, plotting his next move and laying out the pieces as if there were an imaginary chess board. Aleister was expecting someone. That person had planned to meet him on Friday for a short while, and today was that day. Aleister looked at the screens floating in front of him.

These screens were outside of the tank he was in, and they held key information to the city and the outside world. Aleister was lost in his thoughts when a sound echoed throughout the room. Sleepily looking up, he saw the two people who had entered.

Musujime Awaki and Tsuchimikado Motoharu were present, as he had ordered them to be. Aleister smiled. Having underlings was one thing. Having underlings who would never go against you, for the fear of what you would do to the people they cared about, was a whole different thing.

Tsuchimikado glanced at Aleister and asked,

"Why have you called us this time?"

Tsuchimikado was wearing his school uniform, indicating that he had just returned from school. He wore his traditional black shades and had a serious look on his face.

"Ever since World War 3 ended, the Russians have surrendered to us."

Frowning, he looked at Aleister and continued,

"Academy city is in a better position than ever before. The Russian Orthodox church as well as the Catholics have had their strength momentarily drained from them."

"If everything has gone according to your plan, why do you still need GROUP?" finished Tsuchimikado.

He was obviously irritated. It had been nearly a month since the Russians signed the surrender treaty. On top of that, the English Anglican churches as well as Necessarius had gotten word that "Fiamma of the Right" was dead. Assuming that Aleister had nothing to do with it, which he obviously did, the power balance was tipping in favor of the science side.

Tsuchimikado continued speaking, as Aleister looked at him with a grin on his face.

"Not only have things gone according to you plan, but you hold all the cards now. The only thing I don't understand is why Kami-yan had to die for the evil that you have created?"

Tsuchimikado knew that the different churches had sent out their rescue teams in an effort to fish Touma out of the freezing waters. However, to their shock and loss, they realized that nobody could have survived in those waters of the Arctic Ocean. They could not find any life signs.

"Was he part of your plan? That you would have him die so that all the power in the world would belong to you?"

Tsuchimikado wanted answers and he needed Aleister, this evil man to answer them.

Aleister gazed at Tsuchimikado. With the evil grin still plastered upon his face, he said,

"It is true that destroying "Fiamma" was a part of my plan. However, I had not counted on the "Imagine Breaker" to head over to Russia by himself. I did send out retrieval teams to re-acquire him, to no avail. He was already fighting "Fiamma.""

"After he had defeated God's right hand, all I needed to do was to step in and finish the job. Off course, I had not counted on the boy to stay with the "Star of Bethlehem.""

After Aleister had said all of this, a red dot flashed on one of the screens below, coupled with a beeping that echoed all around the room. Shifting his head slightly, Aleister turned to Awaki, who had been listening in on the conversation up to that point, and told her,

"Go and retrieve out guest."

Awaki looked at Aleister with surprise, before she teleported out of the building.

Tsuchimikado watched her disappear before turning back to Aleister,

"And?"

Aleister replied, not concerned with the demands of the boy who was questioning him.

"It was such a shame that he had to die. I could have made further use of him. Well, it can't be helped."

Turning to Tsuchimikado, Aleister smirked.

"This is the fun thing when you control people with morals. Even if it means certain death, they will uphold them no matter what. That is why good people are so easy to manipulate, because they are so afraid of losing…..a couple of things."

"Isn't that right Tsuchimikado?" asked Aleister, studying the boy's face.

Tsuchimikado bit his teeth,

"That bastard," he thought to himself.

For Maika's sake, he had to control himself.

Aleister continued,

"The "Imagine Breaker" was a fool. That is why he died. He was weak."

Tsuchimikado stared at the monster through the glass and exhaled,

"Kami-yan wasn't weak."

Before either of them could speak, Awaki had returned. Behind her, a man wearing a rain-soaked, white lab coat was in tow. Tsuchimikado did not recognize this person. To him, he looked like some sort of Doctor or Researcher. The man walked towards Aleister and Tsuchimikado and stopped.

Even Awaki drew a curious expression at the stranger whom she had just teleported into the building.

The man looked like he was in his forties. He had a beard and wavy hair that grew on every side. He had a strong physique and his lab coat was un-buttoned, revealing a light blue colored shirt underneath. He wore black pants and a belt.

The man looked up at Aleister and smiled,

"You haven't really changed-?"

Inazuma grinned wider,

"-Have you, Aleister?"

"Who is this man?" Tsuchimikado thought to himself.

Awaki and him remained silent as they watched the two converse with one another.

The magician in the tank scanned Inazuma and replied his grin with a sheepish smile,

"I could say the same for you."

Inazuma continued, as he stole a glance at Tsuchimikado and Awaki,

"So, you are still using children to do your dirty work, eh?

Aleister smiled and replied,

"Sometimes, utilizing the youth is the best way to go about things."

Aleister continued,

"But let's move on to more pressing matters. Look at you, after all these years of hiding, you have finally decided to show yourself."

Inazuma closed his eyes and sighed,

"Well, there is a start for everything. I wanted to talk to you after all. We have some things to discuss."

"However, I have to be somewhere else, so make it quick Aleister."

Aleister complied,

"Let's get down to business then. When are you-"

The magician glared slightly,

"-Going to return the "Imagine Breaker" back to Academy City?"

A noise distracted Inazuma. He turned to Tsuchimikado who was apparently in shock.

Tsuchimikado exclaimed,

"What do you mean return the "Imagine Breaker?", I though Kami-yan was dead…"

Looking at Aleister, he shouted,

"I thought you told me he was dead!"

However, the magician seemed unmoved and smiled at Tsuchimikado,

"I lied."

Tsuchimikado pondered on this revelation.

"Tsk. That bastard."

Inazuma looked at Tsuchimikado,

"I don't know who told you Touma was dead-"

Inazuma's head snapped to Aleister,

"-But he is very much alive."

Tsuchimikado looked at Inazuma, stunned,

"Kami-yan is alive? Is he alright?"

Inazuma laughed and said,

"Yes, my boy, trust me when I say that Kamijou Touma is alive and well. I know this, because I am his Doctor. So stop worrying."

There was something about this man that assured him. Composing himself, Tsuchimikado relaxed his shoulders and re-adjusted his shades. He felt like he could trust this man.

Inazuma turned back to Aleister and spoke,

" Still manipulative I see."

Aleister ignored the comment and asked,

"Are you going to return him or not?

Inazuma responded,

"Ah yes, about that, I wanted to ask if the boy could stay a little longer in Infinity 5?"

"He just recovered and I felt that it would not be wise to move him so soon. Hence, I felt that 2 more months would be all he needs to fully recover."

Aleister processed Inazuma's request and replied,

"Is this your prescription as his Doctor, or your attempts to hide an altogether different agenda?"

Inazuma had a surprised expression on his face.

"What do you mean by "different agenda?" This is entirely for the boy's well being. I have no plans to keep him, seeing that he belongs to Academy city. I just want to make sure that he makes a full recovery, so that he will be able to ease back into school and life."

Aleister was not convinced. The angelic man spoke again,

"I know you Inazuma. You would not easily relinquish control over to me, knowing that the both of us have had conflicts in the past. You hate to see me win."

Aleister smirked as he looked at the Doctor through the glass.

"What are you planning?"

Inazuma responded to the subtle taunt,

"Believe me Aleister, when I say that the "Imagine Breaker" will return to Academy City in 2 months time. That's all."

Awaki and Tsuchimikado were looking at the conversation intensely. For Awaki, she had no idea what the two of them were talking about. On the other hand, for Tsuchimikado, plenty of revelations were taking place. First, the fact that Kamijou Touma was alive meant that different church factions could breath a sigh of relief.

Turning to Inazuma, Tsuchimikado asked,

"Touma has some friends from the magic side, can they come and see him?

Inazuma responded to the question,

"Sure, you can come, but I suggest that you wait for him to fully recover. After all-"

A serious look appeared on the Doctor's face

"-He just escaped death. On top of that, I doubt he wants to see anybody right now. Let him come back to Academy City first."

"However, if you are still adamant. You can set an appointment with me and I shall see what I can do."

Tsuchimikado nodded,

"It's okay, I will wait for him to return."

Inazuma smile and turned to Awaki.

" And what is a pretty girl like you doing in those bandages? If you want, I could offer you treatment so that you can heal completely."

Awaki looked stunned at first, but she regained her composure and blushed as Inazuma started walking away from the tank.

"If there is nothing you want to discuss, I will be heading back Aleister."

As Inazuma walked away, followed by Awaki, Aleister spoke in the cold, angelic voice he was infamous for,

"I know why you are returning the "Imagine Breaker" known as Kamijou Touma so easily back to me."

"Is it due to the reason that there is a second "Imagine Breaker" existing in Infinity 5?"

Inazuma stopped in his tracks.

Tsuchimikado looked at Aleister with an expression of none other than disbelief. A second "Imagine Breaker?" That was impossible! One person in the world could only possess this ability, and that person was Kamijou Touma. So why was Aleister referring to a second "Imagine Breaker" as if it was a fact.

It was impossible. A second "Imagine Breaker" just could not exist. Tsuchimikado turned to Inazuma who had stopped walking. The Doctor turned around and beamed at Aleister. If he was surprised, he showed no signs of it.

"Come on Aleister, we all know that this is not possible. The ability to negate all Esper as well as Magical abilities can only be found in one person. The fact that this ability can be found in one boy is already special, but for two people to have the exact same power-"

Inazuma shook his head

"-It's farfetched beyond belief."

Awaki's interest was perked. An Esper that negated all other abilities was something she had never heard of before. Even so, if an ability like that really existed, it would be incredibly powerful. However, this was the first time she had heard about this so-called "Imagine Breaker" and the boy called Kamijou Touma. The name sounded unfamiliar to her.

Aleister replied,

"Inazuma. Stop trying to hide things from me. I am the man who calculates everything. Did you not think that I would have accounted for that possibility?"

"And when have I always been part of you calculations Aleister?" replied Inazuma.

The former Magician countered,

"It is true that you always seem to disrupt my calculations, with your incredibly troublesome amount of free will."

The Doctor smirked and joked,

"I'm glad that I annoy you. Not many people can do that."

Aleister stopped smiling and gazed at Inazuma dreamily,

"Maybe, I should look into Infinity 5's student body and find out if such a being really exists. Maybe, if I please, I can have more than the "Imagine Breaker.""

The magician smiled even wider.

Tsuchimikado stared at Aleister with realization. He thought to himself,

"That bastard. Ever since Russia surrendered to Academy City, he is the one who has benefited out of the war the most. Right now, he holds all the cards."

"If he wishes, he could threaten Infinity 5 with invasion if they do not comply with his desires."

Tsuchimikado surveyed Inazuma. The Doctor was silent.

"Aleister is threatening him with invasion if he does not give him what he wants."

However, where most people would break down and surrender to Aleister's manipulation, Inazuma just stood there. The Doctor looked up and when he did, Aleister's smile disappeared. The magician's face was replaced with a serious look.

Tsuchimikado recognized that look. It wasn't a look of fear. Rather, the man floating in the tank looked like he had met his match. Turning to Inazuma, Tsuchimikado realized why.

The Doctor's face had lost all its optimism and gleefulness. The emotions that replaced them were so rare that one could only find them in men who held great power.

Inazuma had stopped smiling. His eyes were glaring at Aleister. The man stood in front of the former Magician without saying anything. Tsuchimikado felt Awaki flinch as the Doctor and Magician stared each other down. Tsuchimikado looked at Inazuma's eyes. Those kind eyes had changed.

Those were not the eyes of a healer. No, rather, they had become the eyes of a monster. Inazuma finally spoke and when he did, his voice echoed throughout the room, rattling the bones of the two teenagers standing there.

"Don't play games with me Aleister. You know better than to threaten me," hissed Inazuma.

Aleister was silently focused on Inazuma as the Doctor spoke again,

"You might have control over the world. You might even think that all the research cities are your pawns, funding you with money to create war weapons for you own personal gains."

Inazuma's hands were in the pockets of his lab-coat as he continued to speak.

"You might have conquered Russia, and managed to de-stabilize the Magic side by weakening the Russian Orthodox as well as the Anglican churches. Indeed, this had made you stronger."

Inazuma frown-glared at Aleister,

"However, you have forgotten that I am still here. You might be able to do what you want in Academy City, but, when it comes to my city, you won't have any free reins. "

Inazuma glared more intensely at Aleister,

"Don't try anything funny in Infinity 5 Aleister, or you will regret it."

Tsuchimikado and Awaki viewed the exchange silently. The atmosphere in the room had changed. The two adults were dead serious, and a killing intent was being emitted from Inazuma.

Finally, after a long pause, Aleister spoke,

"It that an order as a member of the Board of Directors? Or, your pride as-"

Aleister mouthed the next few words as intentionally as possible.

"-The only level 6 Esper in existence?"

Silence filled the room. Tsuchimikado and Awaki opened their mouths, stunned. Inazuma stood silently. Tsuchimikado struggled to absorb this shocking piece of information. He slowly turned to the Doctor, who was standing behind him and whispered,

"Level 6? Impossible."

Awaki shared the same sentiments too. Her eyes were fixed on Inazuma, obviously stunned. Awaki was lost in her own thoughts.

"This man….. this Doctor…...is a level 6?"

She knew that the "Level 6 shift" experiment had been designed to help Academy City's number one Esper, the Accelerator, achieve level 6. The "Tree Diagram" had calculated that he was the only Esper capable of reaching level 6. There was no one else remotely capable of reaching those heights yet.

So why was Aleister playing this game? Unless, it was really true. The man standing in front of them was really a level 6. Even then…it was still impossible.

"That's impossible!" Awaki cried out.

"Without Academy City's help, nobody would be able to achieve level 6, so it has to be a joke!"

She turned to Aleister,

"Please say that this is a joke!"

Aleister remained silent. Awaki gasped. So it was true. There was an Esper who had reached level 6. She turned back to Inazuma. The man had relaxed. The monstrous expression he had on his face was gone, replaced with a smile that hid the raw power residing within his body.

Inazuma sighed,

"You just had to go and say it Aleister."

Undeterred, Aleister ploughed on,

"Takada Inazuma, 20 years ago, you left Academy City, taking valuable pieces of information and research. You were our very first Esper and much more."

"You were also the first to reach the unprecedented level 6. With all the power at your disposal, you decided to escape Academy City and flee. We tried to stop you, but you wiped out all Anti-skill as well as Judgment forces in your wake."

"Even the dark side of Academy City could not stop you. You were a monster, and still is, a man who is highly dangerous and volatile."

Inazuma laughed in response,

"Well, I was younger back then. Now, I have mellowed down with age. Ever since I left, I joined a hospital, got promoted as a member of the Board of Directors, and even started a school for level 0 Espers."

He beamed even more.

"I am enjoying my current job though. Teaching and educating, rather than hurting people is much more attractive in my opinion."

Inazuma raised an eyebrow at Aleister,

"Which brings me to my next point. Why did that moron, Kihara Gensei, decide to create the "Level Shift" experiment and clone copies of the Railgun in order to reach my level?"

Awaki gasped again. Inazuma knew about the experiment? This conversation was getting more and more ridiculous by the minute.

Aleister responded,

"The tree diagram calculated that it would take 250 years for Accelerator to reach level 6. Since you took the original research papers with you when you fled, he had to calculate everything from scratch."

"Though, I was displeased with the way he covered it up."

Inazuma responded in disgust,

"And you felt that killing people was the best way to achieve it?"

"Those were clones. They had no emotions and thus, could be manipulated to do whatever we wanted them to do."

Inazuma retorted, the anger evident on his face,

"You fool! Those are not toys. They are girls with emotions and feelings."

Aleister spoke out lazily,

"Still sticking to you morals I see."

"That's the difference between you and me.", replied Inazuma, as he turned for the final time and walked into the darkness. Nothing he said was going to get through to Aleister. It was better to leave the conversation at that.

Awaki woke up from her shocked trance and stumbled after Inazuma.

"Touma will return in 2 months," Inazuma announced, as Awaki teleported him out of the meeting.

Tsuchimikado looked on as Inazuma disappeared, before diving deep into his thoughts. Several shocking revelations had taken place today. One, Kamijou Touma was still alive. Two, there was a second "Imagine Breaker." Three, this man, Takada Inazuma was a level 6 Esper.

However, it was the third fact that had merited his attention the most. Now, it all made sense. Inazuma was not just a member of Infinity 5, he was also the power balance against Aleister. Having a level 6 as an enemy was not desirable. Aleister had called Awaki and him to this meeting for the sole purpose of revealing Inazuma.

What they decided to do with that piece of information was entirely up to them. However, Aleister had not counted on the fearlessness of Inazuma to challenge him. Tsuchimikado realized that if there was one person who could put Aleister in his place, it was Inazuma.

Necessarius would welcome this piece of information with open arms, knowing that the most powerful Esper in existence was the "Imagine Breaker's" guardian. Hence, It was safe to assume that he would be on the side of the Magicians too, in case Aleister planned to draw the axe on the Magic side.

After Inazuma had left, Aleister spoke again,

"Takada Inazuma is a heretic to the church. Trusting him to help would be the same as wielding a double-edged sword."

"It is best that we leave it at here and wait for the "Imagine Breaker" to return. However, I want the two of you to infiltrate Infinity 5 and keep an eye on Kamijou Touma."

Tsuchimikado looked at Awaki and asked,

"Are you coming along?"

Awaki replied,

"The two of us were called to go, so I am in. It's boring to stay in this city anyway."

Tsuchimikado turned back to Aleister and pointed out,

"Inazuma knows that you are spying on him. I believe that he has his own agents in Academy City, doing the same thing to you."

Aleister looked at Tsuchimikado and teased subtly,

"I know, but isn't it fun to play with an opponent who is an equal too you. I don't like a one-sided game after all."

With that, the meeting was adjourned, and Awaki and Tsuchimikado teleported outside for the last time. Thinking about the events that had unfolded during the short discussion, Aleister looked at one of the screens floating in-front of him and smiled ever so slightly,

"Well Inazuma, let's see who is the ultimate victor in this game of chess."

**Stay tuned to chapter 6 of this Toaru Majutsu no Index fanfic!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Great secrets have been revealed in the last installment. The existence of a second "Imagine Breaker" and a Level 6 Esper has certainly shocked everyone. What more secrets will be unveiled in this chapter? Where Science and Magic meets, that is where the epic story begins!**

**Infinity 5, 7****th**** district, 12:30 pm, Monday,**

The warm sunlight cast itself on yet another busy day in Infinity 5. Shopping malls and game arcades bristled with life as people crowded them. Students were making their way back to their dormitories as the warm, afternoon sky reached mid-noon. It was 12:30 in Japan and as any other major city in the west of the country; brilliant weather was expected to last the entire day.

On the streets dominated by the towering skyscrapers, hoards of people walked pass each other, each tending to their own businesses. As the mass of individuals made their way to their respective destinations, a spiky-haired boy was among them, finding his own way through the crowd. Kamijou Touma had been discharged from the hospital.

Touma had taken great pains in order to fully recover. During the previous week, Inazuma had boasted that he would be able to walk normally once again. As a result, Kamijou had been put through a rather tough exercise schedule to get him back on his feet. Thus, Touma had spent the weekends, shifting between his ward and the exercise room in order to get his right leg working again.

On top of that, he had the rather strict Chikako Aika, the nurse who had met him when he first woke up, watching him as he was put through the walk-pole and track mill in order to strengthen his leg muscles. Touma sighed as he thought of the sacrifices he had gone through just to get himself back on his feet.

"Such misfortune," he lowered his head, as he stopped in front of a flower boutique store.

Kamijou had always been subjected to life-threatening situations, including situations that were not so desirable to anyone. In his life, he had lost his memory, had his right arm chopped off, grew his arm back again, got involved in a war that threatened to rip the world apart and had escaped death unscathed due to an incredible miracle, only to find himself back in Japan, in a different city. Touma's eyes gazed at the glass display that modeled some beautiful flowers. For some strange reason, unknown to him, Touma found his thoughts wondering to the time, where he had gone on a date with Misaka Mikoto.

At that time, Shirai Kuroko had painfully drop-kicked him, ending their date and causing Touma a great deal of pain. However, as he was thinking about little fun that the two of them had, another thought developed at the back of his mind. How was Misaka? It had been nearly a month since he last left her on the "Fortress of Bethlehem." Had she made it back safely?

Touma thought to himself,

"It's not that I have feelings for her…..It's just that I promised the Aztec Magician I would protect her."

Touma treated Misaka as a dear friend. If his feelings were to go beyond that, it was unthinkable, even for him. Besides, he had more pressing matters to be worried about, mainly about Index. Even though Inazuma had assured him that she was all right, he still felt uneasy. Touma could not let his anxieties rest until he saw Index face to face. However, he had no prior information on where she was or how she was really doing.

Grinding his teeth, he hissed in frustration. Touma started walking again as his thoughts were immersed in Misaka and Index. He continued to stroll down the pavement until he reached a zebra crossing.

A park stood on the opposite street. Touma crossed the road until he was standing at the entrance to the park. An ice-cream parlor was situated where Touma was. Adults and Children could be seen lining up and purchasing their ice creams.

Amidst the crowd, joggers and couples could be seen strolling on the pathways or sitting down on benches as lunchtime signaled the temporary halting of work in all walks of life. Touma walked in through the entrance until he was inside.

As Touma breathed in the surroundings, a familiar voice called out to him. Turning behind, he let out a nervous grin when he saw Chikako Aika jogging towards him. The nurse had a big smile on her face as she stopped in front of Touma.

"Eh, Aika-san?" asked Touma, surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

Aika responded, looking amused,

"What do you mean Touma? This is lunchtime. I am having my break right now."

Touma smiled shaking, knowing that it was a stupid question to ask. However, his reaction was understandable, knowing the kind of person that Aika was. Despite her rather kind and frail nature, Aika was a hard taskmaster. Touma had been forced to keep to the schedule that Inazuma had set, despite his own reluctance to go ahead with the program. Touma sighed again.

"That Doctor, he really should check to see if his nurses are capable of relaxing a little," he thought to himself.

"Kamijou-san, why do you have a regretful look on your face?" asked Aika, puzzled.

Touma snapped back to the present.

"Eh! Nothing, I was just thinking of what a beautiful day this was."

Aika smiled, "I guess you are right! It is a wonderful day to be out, don't you think?"

Touma matched her smile with his. He looked up to the sky. If only everyday was like this.

Aika 's eyes suddenly widened as she looked in the direction away from Touma.

"Look at who it is!" she exclaimed.

Touma turned to look at the person who had warranted her attention. His gaze fell upon a foreign looking boy who was making their way up to them.

The boy had dark-brown skin, and was wearing a blue-colored jersey and brown bermudas that reached to his knees. His shoes were green in color and there were jagged designs on them. He had curly hair and a slightly angled jaw. He was about Touma's height. He was also slightly skinny.

The foreigner had spotted Aika and him, and started walking towards them, much to Touma's surprise. Aika smiled even wider and yelled out in Japanese,

"Avinash, how are you?" Don't you have school today?"

Touma looked at Aika in surprise. He had met plenty of foreigners in Academy City. People like Index, Orsola, Agnese and Shelly Cromwell all had come from different countries. However, their command of the Japanese language ranked between two different ends of the spectrum.

They were either proficient in the language, or terribly bad at it. Yet, what intrigued him was the fact that the foreign looking boy replied in clear, perfect Japanese that surprised even the passerby's walking past them. He must have been born in Japan or had learned the language in school.

The boy answered,

"Ah! Aika san, I never imagined I would see you here. School ended earlier today, so I though I would take a stroll around the park."

Aika smiled and turned to Touma,

"Touma san, I want you to meet Suresh Avinash. Avinash, this is Kamijou Touma. He is new to Infinity 5."

Avinash beamed at Touma,

"Nice to meet you Touma, my name is Avinash. It's pronounced as Ah-vi-Nash."

Touma grinned widely. It was nice to meet someone new, especially one who was a foreigner. Touma reached out his hand for a shake. Avinash obliged, reaching out his own. As the two right hands touched each other, a worried expression stretched across Aika's face.

A small blue glow had appeared. The glow covered both Touma and Avinash's hands. As the glow began to increase in size, Aika's expressions suddenly changed, as she crouched down, a determined look on her face.

"What the…..?" Avinash gasped, as Touma and him were engulfed in the evolving light.

Seconds later, all hell broke loose.

**Infinity 5, 7****th**** district, 1:00 pm,**

On a street a few blocks away, an explosion rocked the entertainment complex. Startled shoppers and salespeople looked around nervously, aiming for the source of the loud explosion that had halted their intense foraging for goods and merchandise. The students on the streets and in restaurants turned their heads, too see a rising column of smoke that was making it's way out from the neighborhood park.

In the vicinity around the park, stunned onlookers and teenagers strained to catch a glance at the smoke that was now clearing near the entrance.

"What was that!" shouted one schoolgirl.

"I hope no-one was caught in it," sounded another boy.

As the smoke cleared in the epic-centre of the blast, a huge ball of Ice could be seen, encompassing the radius in which Kamijou Touma and Suresh Avinash had stood. It was inside this ball of Ice that 3 weary figures resided. Touma opened his eyes. He was lying on the park pavement. He slowly sat up and looked around. He was in a weird wall of white that surrounded him on all sides.

Turning to face the front, he spotted Avinash, sprawled on the ground a few feet from him. Aika was on her feet, both arms outstretched. The expression she was making was scary. Touma placed his hands on the ground and helped himself up to his feet. He hurt slightly, however, the pain was probably due to the fall as a result of the explosion.

Kamijou slowly started to remember. Right after Avinash and him had shaken hands, a blue light had appeared from both their hands. Immediately after, a loud burst of energy was heard and both of them were flung backwards. Touma looked at Aika. The young nurse was muttering to herself frantically.

"He should have told me this would happen! This is what happens when you don't brief people fully!" she chided the person she was thinking off.

"Touma-san, are you all right?" she asked.

Touma replied with a shaky smile.

"Yes, I am. What just happened?" he queried, as he surveyed the wall of ice. Aika replied.

"I was the one who erected it! If I had been slower by a few seconds, the blast would have decimated the entire park!"

Touma surveyed Aika with a curious expression.

"Aika-san, you are an Esper?"

The nurse relaxed her shoulders and dropped her arms. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yes, I am an Esper. Level 4, Ice-manipulation."

Touma nodded. Since Infinity 5 was a research facility, there were bound to be some Espers in the city. A groan sounded as Avinash woke up from the temporary unconsciousness he had been in and rubbed his head.

"Oh man… what was that? This feels like I have just been trampled on by a crowd of hormone raged girls."

Aika walked towards Avinash and slapped him on the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Avinash responded in disdain.

"I wanted to check and see if you were still intact. Seriously, why is it that the first thing you think about is girls, even when you regain consciousness?" Aika asked, folding her arms.

"What? I really feel like that time, where a whole crowd of girls chased me because I insulted their all so precious idol."

Aika blushed and responded.

"He isn't as bad as you think he is!"

Avinash retorted,

"Seriously, what is so good about him? I don't see the attraction. Every one of his fans are girls! He isn't that hot!"

" You are just jealous because he is more popular than you."

Avinash's eyes bulged out,

"WHAT? Me? Jealous of a guy who takes off his shirt for a living? Are you serious Aika?The girls who like him must be stu-"

Aika punched him as Avinash flew to the ground, tongue sticking out.

Touma watched the exchange, unsure of what to do. One moment they were recovering from the blast, the next, they were arguing about teen attractions. Scratching his head, he sounded.

"Eh-"

He did not have time to complete his sentence. Loud sirens could be heard outside the Ice-sphere. Aika straightened up and looked towards the direction of the sirens.

"Someone must have called the police. We need to hurry."

Turning to Avinash and Touma, she said,

"I will handle this. I'm sure you have a lot of questions you would like to ask. However, you might have the wait for a bit."

Aika flicked her right wrist as the ice started to crack and fracture. The wall slowly started to break as the surrounding environment became clearer. They were out in the open again. A small crowd had gathered in the park. Curious onlookers stared at Aika, Touma and Avinash as they emerged from the sphere.

In the distance, an ambulance could be seen making it's way to the park.

Touma cringed at the sight of the ambulance. He wasn't injured, but he had no intention of going back to the hospital, particularly after only being discharged earlier today.

"Eh, Aika-san, I'm not injured."

"I know Touma-san. Just leave this to me."

Touma's eyes moved to Avinash who was standing beside him. He scratched his head and thought to himself.

"What was that just now?"

The blue glow only appeared when both their right hands had met. What had caused the strange reaction? What was going on?

As the ambulance neared the entrance, Touma sighed,

"Such misfortune."

**Infinity 5, 10****th**** district, 3:30pm,**

Takada Inazuma sat in his office, rather pleased with himself. His legs were propped on his desk as he smiled widely. A knock on the door alerted him to the presence of another person. Moving his legs to the floor, he stood up.

"Come in."

The door opened and a rather displeased Chikako Aika stomped into the office, slamming the door behind her. The young nurse looked flustered as she stared at the Doctor.

Inazuma looked at Aika and asked,

"Why are you giving me such a scary look Aika?"

Aika replied,

"Why am I giving you a murderous look? It's because you SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

Her voice echoed through the walls of the room and into the main corridor, startling patients and nurses who happened to walk by. Even with the door closed, there was no masking her displeasure.

Inazuma responded coolly.

"Aika, this is a hospital. Please refrain from yelling."

Aika lowered her volume, but the anger in her voice did not vanish.

"Inazuma-san, there were people in the park, they could have gotten hurt. If I hadn't created the Ice-barrier, there would have been far greater casualties."

Inazuma smiled and apologized,

"I am sorry for making you panic like this Aika, but this meeting between Touma and Avinash was essential in understanding the powers that reside within their bodies. For that purpose, I assigned you to watch Touma and make sure that he 'accidently' met with Avinash."

Aika continued to stare at Inazuma as he responded laughingly,

"I really am sorry Aika, please accept my apology. You know that I would not ask you to do something like this if it wasn't important."

Aika breathed in deeply and exhaled, the stress evidently disappearing from her chest. Opening her eyes, she asked,

"You have to explain everything to me Inazuma-san."

Inazuma nodded.

"Before that, where are the boys?" he asked.

"They are with the medics. Both of them only suffered minor injuries, but nothing serious. I gave the medics specific instructions not to let their right hands touch each other."

Inazuma nodded.

"Let's leave them at that. Now is the time where I explain everything to you, so please sit down."

Drawing a chair from his desk, he motioned for Aika to sit. The nurse delicately sat herself as Inazuma moved to the opposite end of the desk. He drew himself another chair and positioned himself comfortably.

The room was air-conditioned and the curtains were drawn closed. Inazuma reached for a flask on the desk and poured a himself a drink, He handed the cup to Aika who raised an eyebrow.

"Lemonade Aika?"

The nurse took the cup and sipped the cold liquid down.

"I speculated that this would happen," stated Inazuma.

Aika finished sipping the lemonade and placed the cup on the desk.

"When Touma and Avinash shook hands, a blue light appeared and then, a loud explosion occurred. Both of the were thrown back."

Inazuma raised both his eyebrows,

"A blue light? Followed by an explosion that caught the attention of everybody in the district 7 area today? Wow."

Aika asked,

"What happened Inazuma-san? You asked me to make sure that Touma met Avinash. However, I never expected this to happen."

Inazuma smiled and replied,

"What you saw today was basically a reaction between two "Imagine Breakers.""

Aika gasped,

"You mean Touma has an Imagine breaker too? But that's impossible! You told me that only one person in the world possesses the "Imagine breaker" and that is Avinash! Why is there a second "Imagine Breaker?""

Inazuma laughed again and raised both his hands.

"Relax Aika, that is why I am here to explain everything too you. Please be patient."

Aika sighed and focused her attention on the Doctor as his facial expression became serious. Inazuma looked at the ceiling and started,

"To understand the present situation, we must look back to the past. In my case, about 24 years ago, even before you were born, I was a citizen of Academy City. Obviously, I was an Esper and when I turned 21, decided that I did not want to live there anymore."

"Why?" Aika asked.

"For many reasons, one of them being the fact that I was sickened by the darkness that lurked beneath the façade of the world's best Esper development city. As a result, I left the city, taking in-valuable research materials and notes with me."

"Don't forget Aika, at this point of time, I was the only developed Esper the city had, years before the current crop of Level 5s arrived. On top of that, by the time I turned 21, I had already reached Level 6 and believe me, this level is not to be trifled with."

Aika gulped and nodded, knowing that to be a Level 6, meant that you had powers far superior to any other Esper in existence.

"Then why does Academy City have no records of you in the public domain of information?" asked Aika curiously.

"You have to understand that in order to protect top secret information, the higher ups covered up all known knowledge of me. On top, of that, I was a fugitive. If the world governments found this out, I would be an assassin for hire."

"They could pay me any amount of money to do their dirty work."

Aika gasped and argued,

"But you are not that kind of person Inazuma-san!"

The Doctor grinned widely and replied,

"Thank you Aika, but the Board Of Directors did not think of me that way. To them, I was a threat and needed to be kept secret. Hence, the massive cover-up."

Inazuma poured himself a glass of lemonade and took a sip. He placed the glass on the desk and continued.

"After I left Academy City, I fled to the South-West of Japan, looking for a suitable sanctuary where I could re-build my life. Infinity 5 provided the best option for me, as the city had no Espers at that point of time."

"It was a suitable place to hide myself and mask my identity. Only a few members of the current Board know who I really am, but the rest are clueless. I got a job in a hospital and worked my way up to become a Doctor."

Inazuma sat forward and placed his hands on the desk.

"It was at this point of time that I heard of the existence of this mysterious power known as the "Imagine Breaker." An ability that negated all Esper as well as Magical abilities. Obviously, I was interested. An Esper that could negate all of my abilities was certainly rare."

"But, how did you know of this ability?" Aika blurted out.

"From certain reports that were coming from Academy City. Even though I had left them 8 years prior, I still kept tabs on them. At that time, I wasn't part of the Board yet, but because they wanted to find out about Academy City's secrets, they agreed to this little spying operation of mine."

"Due to this, I was able to garner enough information to suggest that such an ability really existed. However, before I could confirm the identity of the person, Academy City had already snapped him up. That boy was Kamijou Touma."

Aika absorbed the information silently as Inazuma ploughed on.

"He was 10 at the time. The officials immediately placed him in an ordinary school curriculum, and gave him Academy City residence."

"I had to acknowledge defeat, knowing that that bastard Aleister had gotten this precious gemstone. However, things were about to take an even weirder twist when a certain incident caught my attention."

"About a few months after Touma had been admitted to Academy City, a strange incident took place in a remote part of the continent, on the Dinagat Islands in the Philippines. There, a rebel army in an attempt to overthrow the government staged a military coup."

Inazuma shifted in his chair.

"The rebels had hired a level 3 Esper with fire manipulation abilities to destroy a town in a brutal act of terrorism. It just happened that the Esper targeted an orphanage was well as several other government installments in an attempt to force a negotiation out of the them."

"As a result, I was sent to the Philippines in order to secure the terrorist and annihilate the threat. We had very close ties with the Philippine government, so coming to their aid was essential."

Aika shivered as she thought of the cruel way in which the terrorist had decided to make their demands known.

"What happened?" she asked, fearfully.

Inazuma lowered his head and smiled,

"Nothing happened, I stopped the attacks from escalating. Although, I must admit that the terrorist who was responsible got away paralyzed."

Aika grunted un-approvingly,

"You overdid it again, didn't you?"

"Perhaps I did. However, it was what happened during the fight that shocked me. As I was facing off against the Esper, he directed a stream of fire at me."

"I was standing in-front of the orphanage when we were fighting. I deflected the attack, only to see it fly off in the direction behind me. I frantically looked back, hopping that no-body would get hurt caught in the blast."

"As the flames flew towards the crying children, a tiny boy ran forward and stepped in-front of them. With his bare right hand, the fire was negated in an instant."

"Avinash?" asked Aika.

Inazuma nodded,

"Imagine my surprise when I saw him do that, this small Indian looking boy had just stopped an Esper attack with his bare hand. Turning back to the terrorist, I quickly finished the fight."

Inazuma sat back and stretched,

"The rest they say is history. I spoke to the owners of the orphanage who were Avinash's guardians. They agreed to release him and send him to Infinity 5, where he would learn to use harness and use his powers. They were more than happy to send him here, knowing that he would have a better life than the one he had, living in that old orphanage."

Inazuma breathed in heavily and gasped,

"We placed him in a school specifically designed for Espers like him. He has been here ever since."

"But he sure has grown up into a fine young man! I am really happy to have been involved with his childhood. You should be too Aika! You have known each other for a long time."

Aika smiled weakly and responded,

"True, but trust me, we have nothing in common."

"Is that so?"

"He has no idea how women think!"

Inazuma laughed,

"Most men are clueless when it comes to women. I wouldn't blame him though."

Aika giggled,

"True."

After a short pause, Aika stopped giggling and asked,

"Inazuma-san, I understand a bit more. However, there was something else I wanted to ask you."

"Fire away," encouraged Inazuma.

"If both Touma and Avinash have the same "Imagine Breakers," why did they cause an explosion? You don't see Espers with similar abilities blowing up when they come into contact with each other, so why does this work differently?"

Inazuma pondered this question thoughtfully before answering,

"I also wondered why. However, my best explanation would be because of the nature of the "Imagine Breaker." For example, if Espers who use electromagnetic waves are capable of sensing each other, they would not cause a chain reaction."

"The most one Esper could do to the other is make them feel uneasy. Like a feeling of being stalked. It has to be noted that they do operate on different frequencies. Hence, the effect is very minimal."

Aika nodded in understanding.

"However, the "Imagine Breaker" is a very special ability given by God himself, if you believe in him. That ability cancels out all Supernatural powers. One user of that ability is powerful enough, but for two to meet…, that would spell trouble."

Aika raised her hand.

"So... this means that when Touma and Avinash shook hands, Touma's "Imagine Breaker" was negating Avinash's, and Avinash's was cancelling out Touma's negation?"

Inazuma clapped his hands together and responded, exclaiming,

"Well done Aika, you have been paying attention in class! Yes, that is the theory. Since both powers are cancelling each other out, there is a massive spike in the two individual AIM fields, no matter how weak they are. This causes a huge power burst that manifests itself as an explosion with a very big blast radius."

Aika broke out in a cold sweat,

"Does this mean that we have to keep them from touching each other!"

"No, but we have to prevent only their right hands from meeting each other. Their powers are only limited to that part of their bodies. Though, I must admit that this is a small price to pay for the existence of two people with the exact same abilities in this world."

Aika frowned again,

"But isn't it virtually impossible for the two of them to exist at all?"

Inazuma shook his head,

"If you believe in God, then my guess is that he must have had a reason to create of the same kind. There are many strange things in this world Aika, just like how people say I am the power balance to Aleister Crowley in this world. In the same way, Avinash is the equilibrium to Kamijou Touma in this plane of existence."

The two of them watched each other silently as the sound of footsteps echoed outside the hallway. Inazuma started again.

"However, there is a slight difference in both of their powers."

Aika sat up,

"You mean that one of them is a copy of the other?"

"Well no, both of them are quite real. What I meant to say was that both of their "Imagine Breakers" have different properties or so called attributes when it comes to the way they use it."

Aika looked confused,

"What do you mean?"

"What I meant is that even though they both have the exact same abilities, the principles of how they work vary. Let me explain. For instance, take Touma for example. He has the ability to negate any other power. But, what makes him use this gift so effectively?"

"So what if you can negate Esper powers? If you don't have the proper timing to react to you opponent, you are as good as dead in a real fight. Here is where the theory comes in. This is purely speculation, but I strongly believe this is the case. Touma has a precognitive ability."

"A precognitive ability?" Aika asked.

"Yes, basically, if another person had the "Imagine Breaker," I doubt they would be able to use if just as effectively as Touma can. This means that only one person can use the "Imagine Breaker" and that person is Kamijou Touma."

Aika nodded. She understood this theory pretty well.

Inazuma continued,

"I know this because I have watched Touma for some time. For the "Imagine Breaker" to be used with his level of skill, there has to be a supporting factor."

Inazuma suddenly grinned.

"However, if you throw Avinash into the mix, the equation varies slightly."

Aika raised her eyebrow,

"In what way?"

Inazuma grinned wider,

"Avinash doesn't have this precognitive ability."

Aika stared at Inazuma.

"But for the Imagine Breaker to work, doesn't he need the power of prediction?" the nurse asked.

Inazuma raised a finger,

"Ah, but this is where I come in. You see, when I brought Avinash to Infinity 5, I was curious to find out the true extent of his powers. That is why I gave him a side-curriculum besides his school in order to test his ability. It was during those sessions that I composed my deduction of him."

Aika dove into her thoughts. It was true that Inazuma and her had worked with Avinash, putting him through the paces and training him with a hidden agenda. During the sessions, Aika had used her Ice-abilities on Avinash in an attempt to see if he could negate her attacks. The sessions usually lasted up to 2 hours and consisted of physical drills as well as stamina training.

During these special classes, Aika had hurled different levels of Ice-attacks at Avinash, only to see them negated. Inazuma usually stood on the platform overlooking them, recording his findings. The sessions usually ended with a bruised and disgruntled Avinash muttering under his breath at the treatment he had received.

"Avinash has what you call involuntary reflexes. This isn't what normal people have. It basically means enhanced reflexes. Each time an attack is thrown at him, he reacts quickly, blocking them with precision. This ability can be trained. That is why we put him through the paces during the extra sessions."

"It was all to bring out that ability in him. I daresay that with his enhanced reflexes, he can even block a "Railgun" at point blank range. Even though an attack is a thousand times faster than him, he can still block it."

Aika reeled forward, stunned,

"A "Railgun"? Inazuma-san, a "Railgun" moves faster than the speed of sound! Are you really sure he can negate an attack of that magnitude?"

Inazuma beamed,

"Both Touma and Avinash can do it. Heck, if Avinash can negate my abilities, how much more can he break a level 5's?"

Aika bit her lips. The revelations revealed today were definitely shocking. However, she was glad that Inazuma was being honest with her.

"But doesn't the "Imagine Breaker" cancel out everyone's Espers powers, including their own?"

"True, but both of them are Level 0s. Precognitive abilities or Sharp Reflexes are not psychic abilities with huge output quantities. They are slightly physical in nature. That's is why they work even with the "Imagine Breaker" existing in the same body."

With that, Inazuma stretched again and sat back.

"Phew! That was a long story, but now you know all the answers to these questions. You are one of the few people I trust Aika, so I hope that satisfied you."

Aika smiled and replied,

"Thank you Inazuma-san. However, what will you do now? Did Aleister agree to allow Touma to stay here longer? Are you planning to show him that technique?"

Inazuma placed his hands to the back of his head and asked,

"You mean the "Omega Cancellor?""

Aika nodded.

Inazuma smiled again, this time, wider than ever,

"That, and a whole lot more."

Aika stood up and bowed,

"Thank you Inazuma-san, I will go and check on Touma and Avinash now."

Inazuma responded by saying,

"Aika, please keep this conversation a secret. It's best that fewer people know about it."

Leaning forward, he continued,

"Another thing Aika. 2 weeks ago, a shipment of "Capacity Down" was stolen from one of the warehouses located in the City. It is not known how the thieves got through security to secure the cargo. Could you please inform Ben and ask him to look into the matter?"

Aika smiled and nodded for the last time, before she turned her back and slid open the door. She stepped outside and slid it close, her footsteps echoing off in the corridor outside. Watching her go, Inazuma massaged his neck and whispered to himself,

"Omega Cancellor….."


End file.
